New Tool Monday:Oh The Places You'll Sew

Oh, the Places You'll Sew

If you haven't heard, we are super excited at OTS about grandson Joshua's upcoming nuptials in the Czech Republic this July. With this being said, his mom Nanci is heading to Europe to celebrate. She is planning on taking a travel quilting/sewing kit with her, so we thought we'd let her share some of her favorite traveling tools today.

Thread Heaven- One of our favorite tools

The first tool is Thread Heaven although I just found out that the company is no longer making it. I would therefore be the first to tell you if you see this in a store, BUY IT!!! I never thought hand-sewing without a thread conditioner was a big deal, but after using this for four years, I must say I won't hand-sew without it. It keeps your thread from knotting, strengthens it and helps to make hand- sewing way easier.

I am so serious about this that on a trip I had everything I needed to work on an embroidery project, but I had left my Thread Heaven at home. I ended up not sewing as the frustration level would not have been worth it. I cannot recommend this enough, so be sure to get some when you can find it.

Makes threading sew much simpler!

The second item I want need to use is a needle threader. This one from Clover is available all over the place and works like magic. It works for regular thread as well as embroidery thread which is super helpful when your eyes aren't quite what they used to be.

Sew Many Colors!

I have to admit, I  am kind of a thread snob. I used to not care at all then I was introduced to Aurafil Thread. My attitude towards thread has totally changed after trying it. It is fine but strong and 100% cotton. It comes in a bunch of different colors and is what I used for almost all of my sewing and piecing.

As for needles, I have an assortment of different brands and sizes that I take with me. I don't have a particular brand that is my favorite, but I do like to have a variety of sizes to be ready for whatever I may have to sew. When we were on a recent trip to Virginia one of the suitcases busted a seam, so I just pulled out my travel kit and sewed it right up. I was thrilled to see it was still in place when we got back to Oregon!

A Snip Here, A Snip There

I generally don't take a large pair of scissors with me. What I do take are my Snip-A-Stitch Snip Scissors made by Havel's. I like them because they are lightweight, easy to pack and perfect for snipping all kinds of thread. I really think they are the perfect travel scissors.

And a place to store it all!

I love my travel bags! I've had these for a while as they were a gift from my oldest daughter when she worked at Greenbaum's Quilted Forest. I actually have a couple of sets. I use one for all of my toiletries and the large one of this set for my travel sewing kit. Called The Elephant and I, and designed by Jennifer Sampou, it's still available from C&T Publishing. It's big enough to hold all my supplies plus a project or two depending on what I am working on plus it is so bright and cheerful.

 Feel free to share with us as we are always looking to expand our collection of sewing goodies, gadgets and tools. We'd love to see what projects you like to take places as well! 

Monday- New Tool Review

So I skipped a couple of weeks on the new tool review, but I'm back with a few basics that have been hanging around the OTS studio for a while. I figured even if they're not new to us, they might be new to some of you.

A Plethora of Small Scissors

One of the most important tools we use here are scissors. Of course, you need to remember that there is a huge variety of cutting implements to enhance your scissoring abilities.
The scissors we tend to use most are the little ones. From trimming thread to clipping corners, there is something for every job. The most important thing about choosing a pair of scissors is not how much or what material they are made of. It is actually how they feel in your hand. Favorites include the little black and green pairs shown on the left side of the photo. Made in Japan by Elan, they are lightweight and great for right and left-handed folks.



Omnigrid Rulers

Omnigrid Rulers

Another common tool of most quilters are the Omnigrid Rulers. These also come in a wide variety of sizes. Besides being used to measure and cut strips and squares, they are terrific for squaring up finished blocks as well as completed quilts. If you are starting up and trying to figure out just what you might need in the Omnigrid department, Jeanette recommends the 6"x 24" and 12 1/2"x 12 1/2". As your collection grows, you can add the various sizes such as the 6 1/2" square and 6"x 12" ruler. You'll need to be sure to have an

Omnigrid Mat to use with the rulers.



Olfa Rotary Cutters

The last item I wanted to mention, especially since I just talked about the Omnigrids rulers and mat, would be rotary cutters. Olfa Rotary Cutters are the brand of choice for OTS. Once again, there is an almost unlimited variety of these to choose from. We tend to use the 45 mm size the most although we have found a number of uses for the different sizes available. Another thing about the 45 mm size is that they now come in purple as well as aqua. Even though they do the same work as the original yellow, these new colors are fun to use!

Next week, I plan on digging through the tool drawers to discover what other things we can share with you. Until then, keep your rulers straight and your cutters sharp!